A Simple Twist of Fate
by melinda08
Summary: After Niles has his heart attack, complications arise and CC is forced to reevaluate her life- which include her feelings for him. Can she go through this alone or does she need a little help from her friends?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This takes place during Fran's Gotta Have it when Niles has his heart attack and goes from there. Fran and Maxwell haven't made it back yet and it gets a little dramatic. Hope you bear with me and I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading! Don't worry, nothing happens to Niles- I couldn't do that. **

CC couldn't believe this. Niles had had a heart attack right in front of her very eyes, and she could do nothing but sit there and watch as his eyes rolled back. She had never felt so helpless before in her life, and she was not a helpless woman. Visions of their life together, as it were, flashed before her eyes, and suddenly everything became clear. She loved this man. She truly and deeply loved this man. She wanted nothing more than to get the chance to tell him, and it looked like she would never get the chance. God help her but she would turn over a new leaf if he would recover. She would stop making a fool out of herself in front of Maxwell. She saw now that her feelings for him were just a case of transference for the man she was really crazy about- Niles Brightmore, the man who had been in front of her along. She had just been too stubborn or too foolish to admit it. She would learn the Sheffield children's names if it killed her. Mildred, Bradley, Gertrude? No, those didn't sound right. Too old fashioned. She knew that Sara had preferred traditional names but where they? For the love of God she would learn them if it was the last thing she did. The first thing she would do would be to profess her love to Niles, even if it killed her.

Oh Lord- killed. Why did she have to think that? Dead- Niles could be dead in a few minutes or a few hours. What was she thinking all of these years? CC knew that she had a cruel streak that she inherited from her mother but she always thought that Niles delighted in it. That was one thing she liked- no, loved about him. He always gave as well as he took. He could always match wits along with the best of them. He was an expert wordsmith, too intelligent for his profession. She always considered his job beneath him, though she dared not admit it to him or anyone. She always defended him vehemently to her mother, who despised him as much as CC pretended to to Niles' face. She was never one to wear her heart on her sleeve the way Nanny Fine did. In some ways she envied her. She was close to getting what she wanted- Maxwell- and she had the love and the respect of those around her. She had close family ties and the children adored her. CC knew the children tolerated her for Maxwell's sake but they didn't really have anything in common. Well she would take steps to remedy that, as soon as Niles recovered. What she wouldn't do for the man she loved.

He looked so helpless. She had never seen him like this. Pale, lifeless, colorless- his hair was that ridiculous shade of black. It was like he'd almost known this was coming. He looked like one of the Munsters. She laughed. He would have liked that. No CC, she corrected herself, must not think of him in the past tense. He will be all right. He has to pull through. He has so much life in him, much more than any man she's ever known. Max was strong in his own way. He had to have been to have survived Sara's death. But he always surrounded himself with those around him. Even after Sara passed away he helped to fill her void by leaning heavily on CC herself and throwing himself into work. And he depended so much on Fran for everything. Unlike Niles, who was the most self-reliant man CC had ever met. He ran the house, and he had known that. Nothing went on in the Sheffield residence that he didn't know about. Nothing. That's why he and Fran got along so well. Fran. Funny how CC never referred to her by her first name. She had never thought of her as a friend before, only as the help. But she knew that Niles had adored her. No one, save for Sylvia, wanted Maxwell and Fran together more than he did, and CC knew that. She always resented that. Maybe there was a reason for that. Could it be that he cared for her the way she did for him? Maybe she would never know.

"Are you with Mr. Brightmore, Miss?"

"Yes I am. I'm CC Babcock. I'm a… friend," she managed to spit out."

"I'm afraid that we have some bad news. His heart has been damaged and we had to do a triple bypass. He has had some complications…"

"Complications.. what kind of complications?" she demanded.

"For some reason he has fallen into a coma and we can't wake him up."

"A coma? What do you mean? How long will this last?" CC was not a crier but even she was fighting back the tears. She wished more than anything that Fran and Maxwell would get here.

"It's hard to say. It could be hours.. could be days, could be weeks, could be months…"

"You're kidding… We can do this. Money's no object. He's strong. He's in great shape. He's healthy. He's going to pull through."

"Miss Babcock… it could be years."

This time CC didn't try to hide it. For the first time in her life she broke down, and she didn't know when the pain would ever stop.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update but I was finishing up another story and that's finished now so I can pay more attention to this one. Thanks for the lovely reviews and thanks for reading!**

CC was in the restroom fighting an awful bout of nausea and vomiting when Fran walked in and found her.

"Miss Babcock? Is that you?"

Of all the people to find her like that it would be Nanny Fine.

"No. Go away."

"Miss Babcock, I know that's you. When you're ready, I'll be right out here. I don't blame you. I feel the same way you do. I'm ready to lose my lunch too…"

CC came out glaring at Fran. "Nanny Fine… I don't want to hear any talk of this."

"Oh Miss Babcock… you've been crying." Suddenly the ice queen seemed human. She'd never seen that side of CC before. She'd always gotten the sense that she and Niles hated each other, due to the fact that they were always insulting each other and playing pranks on one another. But if Fran didn't know any better, she'd swear that CC was a woman grieving for the love of her life.

"You know what, Nanny Fine," CC said as she splashed water on her face. "You might as well call me CC. We're going to be spending a lot of time together and under the circumstances I think that's what Niles would want."

"And of course you can call me Fran. I don't know why we haven't done this sooner. You know, CC, you're not so bad. You're a little rough around the edges but I can see why Niles loves you," Fran said as she gently pushed the hair back from CC's face.

"Niles loves me?" CC stood straight up. "Has he told you that?"

Fran smiled knowingly. "He doesn't have to. I can see it in the way he teases you. I can see it in the way he lights up when you walk in the room and when he mopes when you're not around. Who else would go to so much trouble as to spray disinfectant into your coffee?"

CC smiled. "He does do that for me, doesn't he?"

"And the way he gives you secondhand helpings of food."

"He what?"

"Oops," Fran shrugged. "I guess that was our little secret. Not so secret anymore. The point is he does all these things to get your attention. Why do people repeat patterns of behavior- because they work? That's all he knows how to do. What would you do if he told you he loved you?"

"Right now I'd tell him I loved him back."

"That's right now. But ordinarily what would you do?"

"Laugh in his face and blackmail him for months," CC admitted.

"Exactly. You two have a love-hate thing going on that's lasted for years. All the while you've acted like you're in love with Max. Why do you think I'm not threatened? Because I know that all along it's been Niles you've wanted. You just have a funny way of showing it," Fran smiled at her.

"Fran, we may never be the best of friends, and I never thought that I'd say this, but you're all right."

"Now if I could only get Max to see it I'd be okay."

"He will, Fran. Just give him time," CC smiled.

"Time. What else have I got?"

CC took a deep breath. Hopefully that was something that Niles had. She would make things right with him if that was the last thing she did.


	3. Chapter 3

"Fran, Maxwell, may I have a moment alone with Niles please?" CC asked after she had composed herself with her talk with Fran. Letting her guard down was new to her and she wouldn't look Fran in the eye. But Fran smiled at her knowingly. For all of her lack of education she had a wisdom about her that Maxwell admired, and that was one of the reasons he had kept her on as the nanny. It was also one of the reasons he loved her, although he would never admit to it.

"Well Butler Boy," CC started once she had made certain everyone was gone and the door was shut. "You've gone and done it. You've managed to break my heart when everyone said it was unbreakable. I said it was unbreakable. I swore I would never let anyone in but you swept your way in and I never saw it coming. You with your insults and your disdain and your utter lack of respect for me have managed to capture my affections. Imagine that- the servant and the socialite. Imagine what people would think- what my mother would think. And the worst part is I have no idea how you really feel. Is Fran right? Do you hide behind your sarcasm and your off the cuff remarks or is that how you really feel? I'd like to think that I know you better than anyone else in this world but you know me. I'm no good at reading people when it comes to affairs of the heart, especially my own. I promise you Niles when you come out of this- if you come out of this- I will be a different person. No more insults. No more pranks. I'll be good. I promise. Oh Niles what will I do without you?"

Just then Niles' eyelids started to move rapidly. CC ran out and got the doctor.

"What does this mean? Is he waking up?"

"Miss Babcock, even in this state, patients can dream. I believe Mr. Brightmore was just, to put it simply, dreaming."

"No, you don't understand. He heard me. He was trying to tell me something! I was talking to him and he wanted to let me know he understood me. There's no way that was just a dream. The timing was not just a coincidence. You can't tell me that doctor because there's no way I'll believe you!"

The doctor smiled. He'd seen this before. The families and friends of patients needed to tell themselves anything to reassure themselves that their loved ones would be all right. And who was he to discourage them from their beliefs? "If you say so Miss Babcock."

"Don't patronize me. Niles is alive and he's fighting for his life and he can hear everything. He's one of the most intelligent people I've ever met, even in his sleep. He was trying to let me know that he's okay and he's coming back to me. I don't' know what it will take for you people to bring him back but just do it. Money's no object. I want Niles back and I want him back now!" CC demanded. When CC Babcock wanted something, she always got it. Always.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

So CC, despite the doctor's protests, went back to face the man whom she had come to realize that she loved. It was just too much to bear, seeing him lying there, looking so helpless. This wasn't him. The doctor was wrong- this was not Niles' dream, it was her worst nightmare.

Who was she without Niles anyhow? She'd been part of his life for so long that she couldn't imagine not being part of her daily routine. She'd come to enjoy-no, live for- their daily zingers and exchanges of wit. There wasn't one of them she would trade for all of her precious money. If money couldn't help him right now, what could?

She stared silently at Niles, letting the sounds of his machines comfort her in a way as she tried to gather her thoughts. Who was she without Niles Brightmore? Did she really know?

CC thought about it as she pulled out a compact from her purse. God, she looked terrible. She hadn't even bothered to put on makeup, that was unusual for her. When did she get so…old? It was apparent by the circles under her eyes and by the lines around them that she hadn't slept for what seemed like years. You could tell her age by the rings around her eyes. CC smiled. Niles would be so proud.

When did all of this happen? When did she come to realize that she …cared for him? It couldn't be love. She would know it if she were in love. She would flaunt her money and her body and use her curves to her best advantage, and she hadn't done any of that with Niles. Look how well it worked out for Max. Max. What was she thinking? It was obvious that he was in love, not just with her. It was Fran. It had always been Fran.

Just then it felt like the walls of the hospital room were closing in on her, and she couldn't breathe. She had to get out of there, immediately. When did she begin to sweat? Babcocks did not sweat, they sometimes perspired, but there was no doubt by her clammy face and damp forehead that CC Babcock was sweating. Sharp pains danced across her chest, as if her world were collapsing. She had to get out of there, even if it meant leaving Niles alone.

Running to the front desk, CC yelled at the nurse. "You have to help me. First Niles now me…I'm having a heart attack! Go get the doctor, now!"

"Calm down miss. What are your symptoms?"

"I told you, my symptom is that I'm having a heart attack! What is it about this place, are you here to help or are you here to kill people? Death by heart attack. That's what this place is!"

Smiling knowingly, the nurse went to get the doctor, who escorted CC into another room.

After examining her, CC looked up at him. "Well? How much longer do I have? You don't understand, I have things I need to do, things I need to say! Just tell me the bad news and then do what you have to do. I don't care anymore. I don't care about anything."

Well, that much wasn't true, but she wasn't about to admit it. "CC… let me reassure you that you are not having a heart attack."

"I knew it! I knew I was going to die. And at the age of 29… you people should be proud of yourselves."

"CC..it's not a heart attack. What you have experienced is an anxiety attack. It's not uncommon for people to experience them and mistake them for heart attacks. I can fully assure you that your heart is just fine."

The news was even worse than if he had told her that she was having a heart attack. She'd almost preferred it if she was. "No, doctor, you don't understand. My heart is not fine. I've given it away and I don't think I can ever get it back again. I'll take your stupid pills but what you need to do is make sure that Niles Brightmore will wake up. Can you do that?"

There. She hadn't even realized it but that was the first time she actually admitted out loud to another human being that she loved Niles. Maybe she was getting soft. Damn that Niles. If he had overheard her at the minute he'd never let her live that one down. Then she'd have to kill him herself.

"So, doctor? Can you say that he'll be all right?"

The doctor's look on his face told her what she needed to know. This was bad, really bad.


	5. Chapter 5

As the weeks progressed, the staff came to fear CC by sight. She was demanding, a perfectionist, bossy- and those were some of the nicer things the staff called her. But she didn't care. All she cared about was Niles' recovery. He was a strong man, a fighter, and her head told her that he would be fine. He wasn't smart enough to die, she laughed to herself, before fighting back the tears. What would Niles say if he saw her like that?

Much to her chagrin, she found herself by his side every minute that she wasn't working. The first week, she and Maxwell had put off work the best they could. But it was business; the show must go on, so reluctantly they both returned to work. CC found it quite refreshing to think about something other than the fact that Niles might not come back to her.

He did belong to her, didn't he? She smiled to herself as she knew that he would have a field day with that. No one else could put him down- that was her job. She knew him better than she knew herself, and yet there was still so much more about him that she wanted to know. Why a butler? The man was obviously intelligent enough, although she would never admit that to him. He could have had any role in life, and yet he was stuck cleaning toilets for a living. She was more than curious- what made him so bitter anyways? Was it his lot in life that made him that way? Was it his upbringing? Did he have mother issues?

It suddenly occurred to CC that although she knew him, she didn't really know much about him. She knew from his years of conspiring to keep his last name a secret that he treasured his privacy. Why was he so guarded? Had he had his heart broken before? Maybe that was it. Maybe he had a secret family that no one knew about, that could explain his hard outer shell.

CC realized she was grasping at straws, but she found it rather fun to imagine Niles' world. Where did he like to go on weekends? Did he have any other hobbies besides cooking and singing? Who were the most important people in the world to him? Suddenly she felt a pain of fear that she would not be one of them. The thought left her sick and incredibly disheartened, so she tried to push such thoughts away.

Well here it was, Thursday night at 8, and the doctors had come to make an exception for visiting hours just for her. Really, was there anything she couldn't get if she wanted it? Right now she didn't know what she wanted, other than just for Niles to be okay.

"Look at you, Butler Boy. Still sound asleep. Figures. I've been telling Maxwell all along how lazy you were, but he didn't believe me. Why, don't think I don't realize that you don't dust every day the way you claim to, or that you don't have your shortcuts. You think you've fooled everyone but me. Why, you're the laziest, most incompetent butler I've ever met- and I've had a few."

She looked at the floor, wondering why she was still insulting Niles, when suddenly an all too familiar voice spoke up. "I'll just bet you have."

"Oh shut up, Lysol. That would still imply my getting action, something you haven't had since 1953."

Suddenly it dawned on her that he was awake! Really awake!"

"Niles! Is that you, really you?"

"You were expecting Prince Charles? Why, as a matter of fact I've often mistaken you for Camilla- poor Camilla."

Her eyes lit up and instinctively she leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Why Miss Babcock, I didn't know that you cared."

"I… I don't. Now I suppose I should go and get the doctor."

"No, Miss Babcock. Stay. Just for a minute."

"Give me one good reason why I should?" And she truly hoped that he did.

"because I asked you to, "came the weak reply. "Miss Babcock…can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Can you tell me where I am?"

She looked at him and realized that if she was feeling helpless, than he must be truly traumatized. The thought of her Niles so helpless scared her, so she excused herself so she could go outside and get some fresh air. What had she gotten herself into?


End file.
